It is considered one of the toughest foot events on Earth. In case you missed that one, one of the other toughest foot events on Earth is about to take place.

The Gobi March begins June 10 in the Gobi Desert near the city of Kashgar in western China. It’s a lot like the Marathon des Sables: the race is 250 kilometers; it is spread over seven days; participants carry everything they need themselves.

And, it’s hot: temperatures should average between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius. On the list of mandatory equipment: sunscreen, lip sunscreen, blister kits, compression bandages, salt tablets and a hydration system that holds at least 2.5 liters, or a little more than a half gallon.

Here is a promotional video of some of the highlights from the event last year. Here’s another good clip from the year before, complete with some camel shots, to give you a sense of what it’s all about.

The race is truly global. The 166 registered are from more than 30 countries, with large contingencies from Australia, Britain, South Korea and the United States. Twenty-nine are women.

Ages range from 21 to 69. The oldest woman is the 50-year-old Mallette Dela Riva, a Filipino based in Hong Kong who works as a flight attendant for Cathay Pacific and is raising money for The Hong Kong Society of Rehabilitation. The oldest man is the American Robert Hutchinson, 69, who also lives in Hong Kong. This will be his third attempt. He competed in 2007 and 2008.

If you need a little inspiration to get you off the sofa and outdoors this weekend, consider how some of the participants plan to spend their weekends training for the Gobi:

Colin Nanka of Toronto is planning on a 40-kilometer training session on an inclined treadmill to simulate the Gobi slopes. Tristan Sjober, a Swede who lives in Singapore, is planning on a fast hike of between 33 and 44 kilometers on Saturday and a 14-kilometer run on Sunday. To simulate the Gobi hills (Singapore is very flat), he regularly races up and down the steps to his 29th-floor apartment.

I’ll be tweeting news updates about the Gobi March from @TomSims_Athlete. I hope to participate myself next year.

Lester Kim/Framewerkz, via RacingThePlanetThe start of Stage 3 of the 2005 Gobi March in western China.